Odontosia carmelita
Monk tooth Spinner ( Odontosia carmelita )
The monk - tooth Spinner ( Odontosia carmelita ), formerly known as Carmelite is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of the tooth Spinner ( Notodontidae ).
- 3.1 food of the caterpillars
- 5.1 Notes and references
- 5.2 Literature
Features
Imago
The moths reach a wingspan of 32-42 millimeters. You have graduated in various Rotbrauntönen colored wings. The front wings have at the top edge near the wing tip a clear white yellow teeth and sometimes around in the middle of another, smaller and fainter spikes of the same color. At the inner edge there is the typical for most dental Spinner species shed tooth. The palps are short, stunted the trunk. The antennae of the males are saw-toothed and ciliated, those of the females short sawtooth. The thorax is densely woolly, the abdomen covered with shorter hair.
Egg
The egg is hemispherical, of bläulichweißlicher or greenish color and fine dots dark.
Caterpillar
The adult caterpillars are slightly flattened and of a yellow-green color. They have numerous flat yellowish wrinkles on the back. There is a yellow-white vertical stripes on the sides. Are black, red -backed stigmata in him. The head is incised and strongly colored green.
Doll
The doll is black-brown colored, stocky, with blunt rounded cremaster without thorns.
Occurrence
The species occurs in Europe until well into the north, including Finland and Northern Ireland, in the east to Russia before, but is less widespread in the south. It inhabits various habitats, such as Birch forests, birch strokes, Moore and parks.
Way of life
The nocturnal moths fly early in the year, mainly from late March to May and also visit artificial light sources. At rest, they hold the wings roof-like. The females lay eggs on the underside of the leaves of the food plant. The caterpillars are found from June to August. They like to keep on in the treetops, but pupate in a cocoon in the soil. Hibernation takes place in the pupal stage.
Food of the caterpillars
The caterpillars feed mainly on the leaves of birch ( Betulae ), occasionally also of alder ( Alnus ).
Threats and conservation
The species is found in Germany in the individual federal states in different numbers, area is as rare, but is not considered in acute danger. On the occurrence and risks in Austria: The species is very localized and disjoint in the areas also still quite rare. In Upper Austria O. carmelita was found only at a few places and is getting less. Ecologically this butterfly is one of the most interesting species of our fauna. Although the caterpillar lives on one of the most widespread and frequent plants, the species occurs at only a few places in the country. This is to be interpreted as a hochstenöke adaptation that probably needs to be seen on a preference for climatically very mild locations.